Track Listing

1. Penguins
2. I've Been to Memphis
3. That's Right (You're Not From Texas)
4. Nobody Knows Me
5. If I Had A Boat
6. North Dakota
7. She's No Lady
8. Here I Am
9. What Do You Do
10. Wild Women Don't Get The Blues
11. M-O-N-E-Y
12. You Can't Resist It
13. Church
14. Closing Time

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18995 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com
One decade's oddity is the next decade's institution. Or at least that's been the case with Lyle Lovett. The Lone Star eccentric emerged in the 1980s ostensibly as a country artist, but it became clear pretty quickly that a Southern accent and a pair of cowboy boots does not a Nashville favorite make. In time, however, Lovett's free-range brand of swing, blues, gospel, folk, and whatever has been embraced by a coterie of fans who have as little interest in genres as their hero. Live in Texas is something of a valentine to them--as well as an in-concert 13-year career summary for the uninitiated. Rife with live staples ("That's Right," "If I Had a Boat," "She's No Lady," and "North Dakota," which features an appearance by Rickie Lee Jones), the 14-track showcase certifies what loyalists have known for years: Lovett is one of the best bandleaders around. He and his crack crew get big and get small as needed, punching up uptempo numbers with brass or stripping down to the bare essentials for ballads. Taking it all in, one can't help concluding there's absolutely nothing odd about that. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Lovett totally impresses
I'm a parrot head...but I like nearly all forms of music. When I was in Nashville in mid-November 1999, I went to the bar of the hotel I was staying in to listen to the guitar player and to hear him sing. One of the songs he sang was "If I Had A Boat." I asked him where the song came from and he told me Lyle Lovett. When I got home, I looked up Lyle Lovett and wanted to get the CD that had this song on it. I ordered "...Live In Texas." I had alway thought of Lyle Lovett as a country music artist and wasn't sure of what he had recorded. But then I got this CD, listened to it, and was totally impressed. I can't say enough good about this CD. This is one of the best music CD's of the 90's I've heard. Lovett has a gift for balladeering. His songs are poignant, have meaning, recognizable to our own lives, and funny. Lyle takes the ordinary and makes it reflective as he does in "Closing Time." And yes, "If I Had A Boat" is among the collection and I'll always remember it for having introduced me to Lyle Lovett. This guy and his band are GREAT! Lyle has an excellent voice. It's pleasing to listen to and he has the perfect intonations, emphasis and pauses in his delivery. This CD is wonderful. I didn't think it would be this easy to make a new fan. But when an artist has talent and can touch the heart of the listener, then he'll get fans. Buy this CD. It's NOT country (I like country btw), but a blend of country, jazz and folk and it's just plain good.

Music for the Masses
I have always prided myself on the broad spectrum of music which I listen to. However, I had always avoided Lyle Lovett for some unknown reason. Maybe it was the whole Julia Roberts thing. But let me tell you...this is one of the best albums I have heard in my entire life. Live In Texas captures so many elements of music on one live CD. It flows from happy-go-lucky, swinging numbers to slower, pensive peeks into the mind of Lovett. Partiicularly amazing are the songs Nobody Knows Me and If I Had A Boat. These two songs will remind you of those lonely nights where you sat alone at your computer, looking for some form of entertainment since your life at the present time has none. Lovett's voice is so passionate that it could move a grown man to tears. If you are in the least bit curious about Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, then you must check out this CD. This is the CD to startb your Lyle Lovett collection with. And trust me, like Lays potato chips, you can't stop with just one.

A knock-you-dead swing through Live Lovett Land.
Call it Bob Wills-meets-Tower of Power. Call it folk, jazz or country. Whatever you choose to call it, it is a must for any serious music collector. Having little foreknowledge of Mr. Lovett, et al, it seems divine intervention directed me to this superb live recording. The horn arrangements and dynamics of such jewels as the rollicking "I've Been To Memphis" and the funky/bluesy "Penguins" throw Lovett into the realm of bandleader extraordinaire. Lovett's sexy-smooth vocals on the moving and subtle "North Dakota" will break your heart. "If I Had A Boat" and "M-O-N-E-Y" are just pure fun. "Here I Am," a wry romp through Lovett's views on an absurd human experience will leave no doubt about his songwriting acumen. From Andrea Zonn's fiddle to Matt Rollins' piano to the perfectly blended backing vocals, the musicians are top-notch, the execution flawless. Mr. Lovett, you've won a fan for life.